Starter for engines



Nov. 19,1929. M. B. JACKSON 3 STARTER FOR ENGINES File d Nov. '7, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEI'NT UR.

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Nov. 19, 1929. M. B. JACKSON 1,736,765

STARTER FOR ENGINES Filed Nov. 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l atentell Nov.19, 1929 MAUNSELL B. JACKSON, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA STARTER FORENGINES Application filed November 7, 1925. Serial No. 67,577.

This invention relates to starters for in ternal combustion engines ofthe type in which the starter pinion is manually moved into meshingengagement with the engine 3 gear, and the object of the presentinvention is to provide simple means whereby a con-. tinuous movement ofthe operating means is resolved into an axial movement or a rotarymovement of the starter pinion as may be necessary to aline it with theengine gear and move it into mesh therewith. Other objects I have inmind will hereinafter appear. 7

I attain my object by means of the constructions briefly described asfollows. On a manually operated arm is pivoted a finger which swings ina plane located at one side of the axis of the starter pinion andengages the latter to axially move it towards the engine gear. If thepinion teeth are in aline 20 ment with the spaces between the enginegear teeth when the pinion and gear come together, the finger will movethe pinion directly into meshing engagement with the gear. Should thepinion teeth meet end to end with the gear teeth the axial movement ofthe pinion will be stopped and the manual movement imparted to thefinger will cause the latter to rotate the pinion until its teeth clearthe gear teeth. This manual movement will then cause the finger to againaxially move the pinion into meshing engagement with the gear. Theconstructions are here inafter described more fully and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation, partly insection, of my starter showing the parts in their inoperative positions;

Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the parts intheir operative positions, the switch being closed andthe starter pinionfully meshed with the engine gear;

Fig. 4 a view similar to Flg. 3 showing the position of the parts whenthe starter pinion has been de-meshed from the engine gear before theswitch is opened; and

Fig. 5 a diagrammatic View of my starter.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

1 is an electric motor provided with an extended armature shaft 2 havinglong pitched threads 3 formed thereon. A pinion 4t threaded on the shaft2 is adapted to be man ually moved, both axially and rotarily, into meshwith a gear 5 connected with the crankshaft of an engine (not shown),the common practice being to secure this gear to the engine flywheel. Abell crank 6 is secured to a rotatably mounted shaft 7 adapted to beoscillated by any suitable, manually operated mechanism such as the footpedal or plunger 8 diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5. On'an arm 6 oi thebell crank is pivoted a finger 9 which is provided with an arm 9connected by a spring 10 with the said bell crank arm. The finger isprovided with a sharp edge 9 adapted to engage a peripheral flange P onthe outer end of the pinion at. The spring 10 tends to maintain thefinger in an operative position. 7

From this description it is obvious that by depressing the foot device 8the finger 9 will axially move the pinion towards the gear 5 and intomeshing engagement therewith if the pinion teeth are in alinement withthe space between the engine gear teeth when the pinion and gear cometogether.

It the teeth of the pinion and gear meet end to end, when the pinion isbeing axially moved by the finger 9 into mesh with the gear, the axialmovement of the pinion towards the gear will be stopped which willresult in the finger rotating the pinion sufficiently to cause its teethto clear the teeth of the gear. This is due to the finger swinging in aplane located at one side of the axis of the pinion and the finger beingat an angle to a plane intersecting the said axis at right angles to theplane aforesaid. When the finger has r0- tated the pinion teeth past thecontacting gear teeth it again moves the pinion axially of the shaft andinto meshing engagement with the gear teeth. In other words, themovement imparted to the manually operated device 8 is adapted to causethe fingerto move the pinion axially towards the gear, then, itnecessary, rotate it to clear the gear teeth and then move it axiallyagain to mesh it with the gear.

The other arm 6 of the bell crank 6 is adapted to engage the springpressed contact 11 of an ordinary plunger type switch and move it intoelectrical contact with the fixed terminals 12 thereof. These terminalsare connected in a circuit 13 in which the motor 1 is also connected.With this arrangement the motor is energized when the pinion teeth arein meshing engagement with the gear teeth. The shaft2 is thus rotated tothread the pinion, which is held from rotation by the gear, along theshaft and fully into mesh with the gear. When the pinion engages acollar 14 formed on or secured to the shaft its axial movement isstopped and it rotates with the shaft to drive the gear. (See Fig. 3).The pinion is automatically returned to its inoperative position, whenthe engine is started, in the following manner. The speed of theflywheel gear 5 when operated by the starter motor is less than itsspeed when the engine is started so that the instant the engine starts,the speed of the starter pinion, relative to the starter shaft, isincreased. This causes the pinion to be threaded along the shaft to moveit out of mesh with the gear. Ifthe motor switch is closed when theengine starts, the pinion when moving from its operative position shownin Fig. 3 to its inoperative position shown in Fig. 4 will engage thefinger 9 and swing it backwardly against the tension of the spring 10.The finger is provided with a projection 9 adapted to be engaged by thepinion, on its return movement, to prevent the knife edge being worn ordamaged. It will be noted that this movement of the finger does notimpart any movement to the manually operable bell crank 6.

The axial return movement of the pinion is limited by an abutment formedas a. washer 15 disposed on the turned down end of the shaft 2 and heldin place thereon by means of a nut 20 threaded on the said end. Thespring 10 and finger 9 also serve as a brake for reducing the speed ofthe pinion when moving towards its inoperative or normal positionwhereby the shock of the pinion against the abutment 15 is reduced whichdecreases the rebound of the pinion. To releasably retain the pinion outof mesh with the gear, I provide a spring pressed ball 16 carried in theshaft 2 and adapted to frictionally engage a recess or indentation 17formed at the inner end of the pinion. The ball 16 is also adapted toprevent the spring 10 from axially moving the pinion into mesh with thegear when the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 4 and to prevent thepinion from accidentally sliding along the shaft, due to road jars orwhen travelling down inclines, and meshing with or contacting againstthe side oft-he engine gear 5.

To prevent a small sudden impulse or slight kick of the engine fromde-meshing the pinion, I form an indentation 18 on the pinion at theouter end thereof. The spring pressed ball 16 is adapted to engage thisindentation to frictionally and releasably retain the pinion in itsfully meshed position.

The face of the peripheral flange 4 which is engaged by the finger 9 maybe roughened, knurled or serrated in any suitable manner whereby thefinger may be provided with a comparatively dull or a rounded endinstead ofthe knife edge 9 A spring 19 is adapted to return the footdevice 8, shaft 7 and bell crank 6 to their normal positions as shown inFigs. 1 and 5.

In cases where the engine makes a false start (fires once or twice only)and the operator tries to mesh the pinion with the gear while the latteris rocking or revolving either in its normal or its reverse direction ofrotation, the spring connection 10 is adapted to permit the finger to berocked by the pinion without damaging any of the parts.

vVhat I claim is:

1. An engine starter including a shaft con nected with the starter motorand having a starter pinion threaded thereon for rotary movementtherewith and for longitudinal movement thereof to meshwith a gear ofthe engine to be started; manual means for shifting said pinion intomeshing engagement with said gear, said means including provisions forrotating said pinion, while pressing said pinion against said gear andduring the same movement of the manual means, in case the pinioncollides with the gear before going into mesh; and means operable by themanual means for energizing the starter motor when the pinion is inmeshing engagement with the gear whereby the thread will move the pinionaxially into full mesh with the gear and away from the said shiftingmeans and said provisions whereby the pinion will be entirely free ofand out of contact with the said shifting means and said provisionsuntil after the starting of the engine.

2. An engine starter including a shaft connected with the starter motorand having a starter pinion threaded thereon for rotary movementtherewith and for longitudinal movement thereof to mesh with a gear ofthe engine to be started; manual means for shifting said pinion intomeshing engagement with said gear, said means including a toothed memberfor engaging the end of the pinion to rotate it, while pressing itagainst said gear and during the same movement of the manual means, incase the pinion collides with the gear before going into mesh; and meansoperable by the manual means for energizing the starter motor when thepinion is in meshing engagement with the gear whereby the thread willmove the pinion ax ially into full mesh with the gear and away from theshifting means and toothed member so that the pinion will be entirelyfree of and out of contact with the shifting means and toothed memberuntil after the starting of the engine.

3. An engine starter drive including a shaft connected with the startermotor, the shaft being fixed against longitudinal movement and providedwith a helical spline; a starter pinion movable endwise along saidsplined portion and rotatable with said shaft; manual means for shiftingsaid pinion into meshing engagement with a gear of the engine to bestarted, said means including provisions for rotating said pinion, whilepressing said pinion against the gear, in case the pinion collides withthe gear, the manual means and provisions including a connection betweenthem adapted to admit both an overrunning rotation and a return axialmovement of the pinion before the said means and said provisions arereturned to their normal inoperative positions whereby the spline willautomatically de-mesh the inion when the engine starts regardless of t estatus of said means and said provisions.

4;. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft; a starterpinion mounted thereon for rotary movement therewith and forlongitudinal movement thereof to mesh with a gear of the engine to bestarted; a pivoted finger adapted to engage the pinion eccentric to itsaxis; and means for actuating the finger to cause such longitudinalmovement of the starter pinion and to cause a rotary movement thereof ifthe teeth on the pinion meet end to end with the teeth on the gear.

5. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft; a starter pinionmounted thereon for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal.movement thereof to mesh with a gear of the engine to be started; apivoted arm; a finger pivoted on the arm; means tending to retain thefinger in its operative position, the finger being adapted to engage thepinion eccentric to its axis; and means for actuating the arm to causesuch longitudinal movement of the starter pinion and to cause a rotarymovement thereof if the teeth on the pinion meet end to end with theteeth on the gear.

6. In a starter for use with an internal combustion engine having a gearadapted to rotate the crankshaft thereof, the combination of startermechanism including a motor and a shaft; a starter pinion threaded onthe shaft; a pivoted arm; afinger pivoted on the arm; means tending toretain the finger in its operative position, the finger being adapted toengage the pinion eccentric to its axis; and means for actuating the armto axially move the pinion into meshing engagement with the gear, thesaid finger being adapted to rotate the pinion if the teeth on thelatter meet end to end with the teeth on the gear; a motor circuit; anda switch in the motor circuit adapted. to be closed by the arm when thepinion is meshed with the gear, the pinion being adapted to swing thefinger to an inoperative position if the pinion is demeshed before theswitch is opened.

7. In a starter for use with an internal combustion engine having a gearadapted to rotate the crankshaft thereof, the combination of startermechanism including a motor and a shaft; a starter pinion threaded onthe shaft; a pivoted arm; a sharp edged finger pivoted on the arm andprovided with a projection; means tending to retain the finger in itsoperative position, the finger being adapted to engage the pinioneccentric to its axis; and means for actuating the arm to axially movethe pinion into meshing engagement with the gear, the said finger beingadapted to rotate the pinion if the teeth on the latter meet end to endwith the teeth on the gear; a motor circuit; and a switch in the motorcircuit adapted to be closed by the arm when the pinion is meshed withthe gear, the pinion being adapted to swing the finger and engage theprojection to hold the finger in an inoperative position if the pinionis demeshed before the switch is opened. 1

S. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft; a starter pinionmounted thereon for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinalmovement thereof to mesh with a gear of the engine to be started, thepinion being provided with a peripheral flange; a sharp edged pivotedfinger adapted to engage the flange; and means for actuating the fingerto cause such longitudinal movement of the starter pinion and to cause arotary movement thereof if the teeth on the pinion meet end to end withthe teeth on the gear.

9. In a starter for use with an internal combustion engine having a gearadapted to rotate the crankshaft thereof, the combination of startermechanism including a motor and a shaft; a starter pinion threaded onthe shaft; a bell crank; a finger pivoted on an arm of the bell crankand provided with an arm; a spring connecting the said arms for normallyretaining the finger in its operative position, the finger being adaptedto engage the pinion eccentric to its axis; means for actuating the armto axially move the pinion into meshing engagement with the gear, thefinger being adapted to rotate the pinion if the teeth on the lattermeet end to end with the teeth on the gear; a motor circuit; and aswitch in the motor circuit adapted to be closed by the other arm of thebell crank when the pinion is meshed with the gear, the pinion beingadapted to swing the finger to an inoperative position if the pinion isdemeshed before the switch is opened.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 4th day of November, 1925.

MAUNSELL B. JACKSON.

